I Am Mother

This handsomely made sci-fi offering from Netflix isn’t shy about its influences, as the story of a young girl, raised by a robot, who begins to question her existence with the unexpected arrival of an outside figure has strong echoes of Moon and Ex Machina. Director Grant Sputore peppers the frame with interesting details, such as the human embryos that line the walls of the high-tech facility where “Mother” and “Daughter” live, and mines the material for some decent nature versus nurture/emotional versus logical musings. The film never truly rises above its aforementioned genre influences and has a tendency to overdo it, especially when it comes to the last act. Sputore’s execution fails to match the script’s heady and twisty aspirations, diluting the overall impact of the film. Nonetheless, I Am Mother leaves you thankful that there are still indie sci-fi productions out there to counter the big budget behemoths.